Best Television Shows

Archive for November, 2009

In TV Squad‘s continued efforts to share the best and worst of TV commercials with you, here’s one that’s currently airing that’s just terrific. Jim Gaffigan for eBay. Think harder. That’s his advice for people who are trying to figure out what to buy him for Christmas.

Gaffigan is hilarious with that dry sense of humor and the furrowed brow. How much you want to bet he’s been there when it comes to getting crappy gifts. You know, like a coffee mug that looks like it must have been re-gifted from an office birthday party. Or the jewelry box that’s too ugly to be put on your dresser. Or a Chatty Cathy doll you received when your parents knew you weren’t interested in playing with dolls.

Oops, that last one was a personal one of mine.

Continue reading Jim Gaffigan’s Christmas ads for eBay are working

Filed under: OpEd, Video, Commercials, Celebrities, Reality-Free

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There’s a new Jane joining The Mentalist, a Jane of the female variety. Aunjanue Ellis will be the new CBI head on CBS’s The Mentalist, attempting to reign in the unconventional — yet highly productive — antics of Patrick Jane.

Ellis will be a new character — still unnamed — who is assuming the leadership position left vacant when Virgil Minelli resigned. Minelli was played by Gregory Itzin, who is returning to 24 to resume the role of disgraced former president Charles Logan.

Minelli’s exit has already been set up on the show; he announced his resignation following the Red John instigated bloodbath in the CBI offices that resulted in Bosco’s death and two other agents. In the last episode, Minelli assumed responsibility for the deaths and the breach in security.

Continue reading The Mentalist enlists a new boss

Filed under: OpEd, Casting, Reality-Free, The Mentalist

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Ooh, the tables are turned in tonight’s House, and Wilson is the one with the medical mystery on his hands. On a hunting trip, his buddy, played by The West Wing star Josh Malina, has a physical meltdown, and Wilson has to figure out what’s going on.

Earlier this year, executive producer Katie Jacobs said, “We have this upcoming episode where House is to Wilson as Wilson is usually to House. Like he’ll be in the middle of something and House will drop by, or he’ll go see House in the middle of a differential diagnosis meeting, and we’ll never even know what they were working on. I’m excited about it.”

And, of course, I always love the episodes where Hugh Laurie gets to display his musical talents, even if it IS in a House-centric way. In fact, I’m loving House this season. How about you? Join in our spirited discussion on whether House and Cuddy should get together. Here’s a three-minute clip of tonight’s episode, which airs at 8 PM on Fox.

Filed under: OpEd, House, Video, Reality-Free

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Somewhere tonight American Idol judge Simon Cowell is grinning. You can just imagine it, can’t you? That smile that he wore on Britain’s Got Talent when he heard Susan Boyle sing “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables, remember? Simon was smart enough to take that talented lady and make her a star. Oh yes, she had the talent, but Simon had the wherewithal. And today it’s paid off with the news that Susan Boyle’s debut CD is number one on the UK charts.

The record keepers across the pond, the Official Charts Company, announced that Boyle’s CD, also called I Dreamed A Dream, sold 410,000 copies since its release on November 23. That means it’s not only the top of the chart, it’s also the fastest selling album this year. It’s even the most albums sold in the first week of a release for a British debut.

Continue reading Susan Boyle’s CD debuts at number one in UK

Filed under: OpEd, Music and Variety, Celebrities, Awards, Reality-Free

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(S03E10) “I think that ultimately, [women] are going to have to raise the white flag and just accept us for the emotional retards that we are.” – Hank to Charlie

This was a real uplifter from last week’s dull and otherwise boring episode, if not for the courageous and outrageous efforts of Charlie and his quest to score Rick Springfield a bag of the Colombian itching powder. And I mean uplifter in both the quality and emotional sense of the word … that I just made up.

The girls in Hank’s life, Karen, Becca and Charlie’s ex Marcy, go for a girls’ night out, and Hank gives Charlie one of his world famous benders after he gets canned for losing Springfield as a client. But it’s more about seeing how much greasy California cuisine and $10 a bottle booze they can shove into their systems. Like all great drunken road trips, it’s a night of story-telling, story-making and personal exploration, if the memories can make it through the vodka and wine haze that follows them wherever they go.

Continue reading Review: Californication – Dogtown

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free

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(S04E10) “No one’s ever going to hurt you again … especially me.” – Dexter to his infant son, Harrison

Every season, Dexter manages to learn something from every one of his various victims and kills: the origins of his “Dark Passenger,” the need for humanity to have a silent hero, why you shouldn’t share your serial killing secrets with your best friend.

This season’s big lesson seems to be the deepest and most important of all: his family. Dexter kept Arthur Mitchell, the Trinity Killer (although after tonight, he should be redubbed the Trinity Plus One Killer since we learned that Lundy missed a crucial piece of his serial killings), on a long leash hoping to learn how to juggle his family mask and his private hobby, something Arthur has managed to do for more than 30 years. Unfortunately, the lesson he learned was a harsh one: your family is either a family or a mask and can be both. That and don’t follow Arthur Mitchell’s advice, ever.

Continue reading Review: Dexter – Lost Boys

Filed under: Dexter, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free

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(S06E09) “I don’t care how you go. I just want you gone.” – Carlos to Lynette

As we all expected, this week’s installment of Desperate Housewives marked the beginning of the war between Carlos and Lynette over the fact that she is pregnant and hid her pregnancy as long as she could so she wouldn’t be fired.

Carlos may have won the first battle, but the war is far from over as Lynette will not go down without fighting as hard as she can. Who will win the war? Only time will tell. One thing is certain, it will take a lot of time for the Scavos and Solises to be the friends they once were.

Continue reading Review: Desperate Housewives – Would I Think of Suicide?

Filed under: OpEd, Desperate Housewives, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free

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Stacie, I never knew you felt that way…

This week on the Hills, we take it to the streets…the streets of Vegas, so that Kristin can get Justin out of her heart and…back into her bed? WHA? Crazytown. But even better, Paul Bunyan gives his expert advice on knowing if a girl is or isn’t preggers. Without one of those pesky, expensive sticks you pee on!

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Last week we learned that when you “candle-a-bra” you get “elimin-a-ted” and that someone’s gonna get their ass beat this episode! WHY?! Because it’s Amazing Race and somebody’s gotta get whooped!

Teams start out in the marshes of Estonia where we left them and we see Team Master Race get the first clue – fly to Prague! Nice! Very jealous. Hot boys and tastey pastries.

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(S15E11) Next week is the big season finale of The Amazing Race. But this week the last four teams have to battle it out for the prized final three slots racing for the finish line. So, you would think this is the time to put on the big boy (or girl) pants, step up to the plate, give it your all, and a thousand other corny trite sayings. Alas, one team tonight has a huge fail. Of all the legs to fall apart and go kerflooey, this one so near the finale is cruel indeed. Too bad, so sad.

Continue reading Review: The Amazing Race – It Starts With an F, That’s All I’m Saying

Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews

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